April Jones: police across country co-ordinate to take calls from public

Police search a farmhouse in Ceinws where Mark Bridger – who is being held on suspicion of abduction – has lived since September. Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA

Detectives searching for five-year-old April Jones are being assisted by police forces across Britain in the task of dealing with the huge amount of information that has come from the public.

As officers gained extra time to question Mark Bridger, who was arrested on suspicion of abducting the child, the scale of the operation was made apparent.

The police had taken the unusual step, on Wednesday, of naming the man they were holding, and on Thursday forensic teams continued investigating Mount Pleasant, the farmhouse in the hamlet of Ceinws where Bridger has lived since early September. The search included raising paving slabs in the garden.

Police have already received more than 2,500 calls from members of the public who believe they may have information about the disappearance of the girl, and all 43 forces in England and Wales are helping process the details.

Hundreds of police officers, mountain rescue teams, coastguards, RNLI experts and firefighters continued to comb the area around the mid-Wales town of Machynlleth, the home of April.

Separately, about 300 local people organised themselves into teams and searched areas further off from the town.

The prime minister, David Cameron, issued an appeal for help in finding April. He said the revelation that she had cerebral palsy "only makes the situation worse".

Money from across Britain began pouring in to a fund set up to support April's family while provisions and outdoor clothing for those involved in the searching continued to arrive.

At a press conference on Thursday evening Superintendent Ian John said he was heartened by the public response following the disappearance of April, who went missing on Monday while playing near her family home. He said more than 2,500 calls from the public had been received.

All the police forces in England and Wales had worked together to process the calls. "All this information will be analysed," he said. "Everybody is determined to follow this though."

John said the police search involved eight specialist teams from across the UK led by five advisers. "Extensive police-led searches have taken place around Machynlleth and will continue … all these resources are focused on finding April or any other information that will assist this ongoing investigation."

Turning to April's family he said: "We all are feeling for them at this terrible time. That's why we are here … to focus on the search and to do everything we can to bring this operation to a conclusion. I'm heartened by the number of calls It shows the public cares and wants to help us."

Earlier police had gone to court in Aberystwyth to get more time to question 46-year-old Bridger. They have until 5pm on Friday to either release him, charge him or seek further extension to the time allowed for detaining him.

A photograph of Bridger and his left-hand drive Land Rover was released and police appealed for help in piecing together his movements after April vanished.

Detective Superintendent Reg Bevan, leading the investigation, said: "We will be … looking to overlay what we glean from his interviews, witness accounts and sightings."

He emphasised that a huge amount of work was going on behind the scenes. "There is a significant team of officers working around the clock, assisting in developing that picture so we can map out, to the best of our ability, his movements. This includes a vast amount of forensic analysis taking place, which forms a crucial part of the investigation."

Pink ribbons appeared throughout Machynlleth after April's mother asked for a show of solidarity. She said on her Facebook page: "I will be putting a ribbon on my gate tomorrow in April's favourite colour, pink. Please feel free to tie a ribbon to anything to show April your support and that [you are] still looking for her. Please keep looking for April – she needs to come home."

April's sister, Jasmine, 16, said: "Knowing April still isn't found is making me sick and knowing someone knows something but won't say, it makes me feel even worse. I just want our beautiful princess home now – it's been too long."

Ribbons were tied to the railings around the town's clock tower, on shop doors and pinned to trees. Schoolmates of April were seen carrying pink paper swans.

The prime minister joined the calls for help. He said: "My heart just goes out to April's family. This is every family's nightmare, having this happen and the fact that she suffers from cerebral palsy, something I know a little about from my own children, only makes this worse.

"My appeal would be to everyone, if you know anything, if you saw anything, heard anything, have any ideas you can bring forward, talk to the police, help this family find their lovely child."

April's father, Paul Jones, 43, was keen to join in the hunt but it emerged he had failing sight from a degenerative condition.